


Imploding

by orphan_account



Category: Renegades - Marissa Meyer
Genre: Adrian just tell your dads, But NOOOOOO you don't, F/M, Identity Reveal, Interrogation, Kidnapping, TELL PEOPLE WHEN YOU CAPTURE YOUR ARCHENEMY/GIRLFRIEND
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:22:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23701513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Adrian caught Nightmare. Finally! He could find out who killed his mother, Lady Indominable, and seek vengeance. There's only one problem... Nightmare is Nova. Adrian tries to find out what he needs from her, even as he slowly breaks inside, never revealing himself to her only as the sentinel. How far would Adrian go for revenge?
Relationships: Adrian Everhart & Hugh Everhart & Simon Westwood, Nova Artino | Nightmare/Adrian Everhart | Sketch
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

Adrian came rushing toward nightmare. She was above Max, and he seemed to be bleeding out. Adrian barely took notice of Frostbite and her team unconscious on the ground as he came flying toward his little brother and the monster killing him with a sheen of red clouding his vision.  
"Max! You hurt Max!"  
Nova as nightmare looked up to see the prodigy who called himself the sentinel flying at her. Good. He needed to save Max. He would do the heroic whatever. Nova grabbed the helmet and with a fleeting look at Max she ran. But was slammed onto the ground.  
This time, Adrian would not let her go. He had seen her running and had launched himself at her instead of Max. He could tell he had landed hard enough to knock her unconscious. After checking nobody was looking, he quickly drew a hole in the ground.  
He wanted the hole to lead to a small enclosed dark space to keep Nightmare for time being, rendering her unable to escape, and it did. He quickly drew lines connecting it back together again, knowing that because he wanted it to be so, Nightmare would not suffocate. He needed information from her.  
Remembering Max, Adrian ran back, still as the Sentinel, and proceeded to get Max to safety. He felt horribly that he had chosen to go after nightmare first, and all he could do was hope with every fiber of his being that his vengeful, unthinking decision would not cost Max his life.  
How could someone do that to a child?! Just because of his powers that he had been born into? Just because he had stripped Ace's gifts away? Ace was captured now, thanks to the Sentinel himself, and now Nightmare was in his grasp too. Adrian could turn them both in, and then coming out as the sentinel wouldn't be a bad thing.  
He had done a good thing! Then the council would interrogate Nightmare, and if he asked permission... well, it wasn't a guarantee they'd even let Adrian speak to Nightmare! Especially him being the sentinel. And with the code and all, anything could happen. Heck, they'd probably release Nightmare back into civilian life once they'd neutralized her. It wouldn't be in their code to... forcibly interrogate her. But he needed the information... what if...  
No! He couldn't go behind his dads backs like that.  
But maybe, just maybe... he could interrogate Nightmare himself, just for a little bit before he turned her in. That wouldn't be so bad would it?  
That wouldn't be so bad at all.

|||||||Time Skip|||||||

Nova woke in the darkness, screaming. Shit. Did she fall asleep? No, she had been knocked out. By the Sentinel. She hadn't gotten the helmet to the Anarchists! She had failed! No! No, no, no! This couldn't be happening!  
She sat up in a hurry, her head hitting concrete, hard.  
"OWWW!!" She was sealed in the dark. There was no light and she had no idea where she was. Bam! Bam! Bam!  
No! don't think about that! Find a way out! you have to get out!  
Bam! Mother collapsed. Bam! Father died. Bam! You couldn't help Evie. Look at you. Helpless. You had one simple task and you messed it up. For what?  
Your family died and you couldn't help. You didn't shoot Captain Chromium. You killed Ingrid defending a renegade of all people. You fell in love and look what it did. You betray the anarchists, Max is hurt because of you, and Ace is still dying. To top that, it's not like the Renegade would even love you if he knew. He'd hate you. He despises you. You are a failure, Nova.  
"No! I have to... get out!" Don't cry Nova. Don't cry. Don't show weakness. You've still got the amulet so the Agent N didn't work against you. Your captor doesn't know that. They'll have to let you out soon. This is against Renegade code!  
And then Nova remembered this was not a Renegade holding her captive. This was the Sentinel, who was obsessed with her and who was dangerous and unpredictable. What he did to Hawthorn... by comparison what he had done to that poor tortured prodigy would be a mercy.  
Nova's situation suddenly hit her really hard. She was going to be tortured, and then killed. Violently. She started shaking uncontrollably. She didn't think anything she said would get her out of this situation. She could try to put the prodigy to sleep when he came to interrogate her, and try to make a run for it but when would that be?  
She was just trapped in a small space in the dark. She had always been minorly claustrophobic. She was hiding in the cabinet when the men had come. When Evie had died. Bam!  
She was trapped with barely any space in the cold, dark, small enclosed space where she was being kept. She didn't know how long it had been now. Long enough for her to have had relieved herself twice, and seeing as there was no drain or anything she was just sitting in it now. She was hungry and hadn't drank anything for a long time.  
This was inhumane, not that the Sentinel would care. She guessed this was a form of torture by itself. Bam! Bam! Bam!  
All that Nova had left was memories of everything she had done wrong. She had done so many things wrong. She had disappointed everyone, and everyone who did love her wouldn't if they knew the truth about her. But she was going to die here and not be able to even explain herself anyway. She'd die and join Evie. Except probably not. Evie was so good, just a sweet baby. Nova... was not. Nova deserved this.  
So she was left in the dark.

|||||||Time Skip|||||||

Adrian brought Max to the hospital and got a non-prodigy doctor for him. They said he lost a lot of blood, but he was able to freeze his wound shut with frostbites power. They found the knife that Nightmare probably stabbed him with. Speaking of Nightmare, he still needed to get her but he had to attend the meetings and all of the chaos that ensued. Max... he wouldn't forgive himself if Max died. Was capturing Nightmare so important?  
Maybe. He could finally learn who killed his mother. But his mother would still be dead no matter what. Max might've lived if he'd made different choices.  
No! He mustn't think like that. Max was still alive. Max needed to stay alive.  
Finally, after a day of the madness that followed Ace Anarchy's capture, Adrian got his chance to move Nightmare. He was going to try drawing a passageway that would lead to her location. It defied geography and worked, being relatively short. He unzipped his Sentinel suit, because it certainly inspired more... well Adrian didn't want to say more fear than "Sketch", but for lack of better word it did. He got to an end of the passageway and drew a door, but then paused. Nightmare would be awake by now, and would probably attack him. He drew a blockade on the other die of him, so she couldn't get out, double checked that she couldn't get to his skin, and with his marker as a defense tool hanging at his side, opened the door quickly and quietly, stepping inside.  
Nightmare didn't even appear to see him. It was very dark and cramped in there, and to his shock, she was curled in a ball shaking, and he room smelled strongly of... urine. Um. That would be his bad. He actually started to feel slightly empathetic for her before he caught himself. This is the one who tried to kill your dad, Max, and Nova. Now's not the time Adrian.  
Oh drat. He hadn't even stopped by to see and inform Nova. Oops. This was more important anyway.  
Adrian cleared his throat. Nightmare whipped around, unable to stand up due to the height of the room, and leaped at him. Adrian evaded her easily, and shot her in the head with the photon beam from his wrist. She collapsed.  
That was easy. He lugged her small unconscious body down the hallway he had made, and then drew a new room. The last had been a little rushed, and even if Nightmare had deserved it, he would try to be little more humane than that previous room. He then noticed a glint of metal shining around her neck-- the amulet. How did she get that? Well, this time he'd have to make sure she didn't have things like that. At least that gives a definite answer on how Nightmare was resistant to Agent N. And now for the awkward part.  
He wanted to manacle her to the bed, but she would need to change out of her armor, and he was not going to be a perv captor. Yeah, he just dew her a pair of shoes and 2 tracking manacles, one for her ankle, and one for her wrist...  
He yanked off her gloves, only, there was something already on her wrist.  
Adrian's eyes widened, and after grabbing the bracelet that lay there, he immediately went for her mask. It was amazing he'd had the restraint to wait until now.  
Adrian stood up, taking the mask with him, and slammed the door on the way out.  
He collapsed outside, the mask and bracelet in his lap. Nightmare was none other that Nova; a renegade who went by Insomnia and was coincidentally the person he loved most.  
Thanks a lot universe.


	2. Awake

This Sentinel guy had a real thing for knocking people unconscious. People being her. Nova's head hurt like hell. Hey, at least her chambers had been upgraded. Now there was a dim lightbulb hanging above her head, and she had generously been supplied with a uniform that looked an aweful lot like the cheesy black and white uniforms worn in prisons before the Age of Anarchy.  
Anarchy! She had failed Ace! She didn't remember having it in the previous cell *shudder*, which means it must be back in renegade hands. Great. The anarchists would gladly leave her here for that failure. She was of no use to them.  
But Ace-- maybe Ace wouldn't leave her. She was his niece, his little nightmare. He would make the Anarchists come for her... right?  
She went to change into the uniform. It was probably a nicer prospect to do it herself than have the sentinel force her to. Suddenly she realized her mask was gone.  
Shit! She supposed it was only a matter of time, but the mask had been her only protection. Her only hope that she could still crawl out of this mess, and no one would be the wiser that she had been Nightmare. Now, that was all a dream. Her life was a nightmare.  
She wasn't Nova McLain, dedicated renegade who went by Insomnia. She was an Artino, whose only family was Ace, who had always been there for her. She could never repay him for being there, and she had failed what he had asked of her. Maybe she deserved to be here.  
Ace's helmet was in the Sentinel's hand. Something woven from the air by her father taken away from who it truly belonged to. Instinctully, Nova's hand flew to her wrist where the bracelet her father made always lay, now with the star Adrian had given her, only-  
It wasn't there. It wasn't there. It had been taken from her! Screw the Sentinel!! He was determined to take everything from her! Nova felt tears coming to her eyes at the thought of her father's work in his hands with his stupid heroic- It wasn't there. Bam! Bam! Bam!  
Her father's work was all gone. Everything was gone. But Ace would come for her. Ace would get her out.

||||||||Adrian's POV|||||||||||

Nova didn't show up for any of the meetings today. They tracked her communication band back to her house looking for her, and it wasn't on her. Surprise. They don't know where she is. Everyone is worried about that now too. Adrian feels like he can't be worried about anything anymore. All emotion is gone.  
Ruby and Oscar are worried about her. They think he's worried because the current theory is Nightmare got her. She didn't capture her. Nova never existed. There was only ever Nightmare.  
It's so obvious! How didn't he ever see it before? It was never real.  
She looked so uncomfortable in headquarters. She wanted to work with relics. She was so worried about people "abusing" Agent N. She was so worried about "protecting" the helmet. What were the flaws? How could someone hypothetically get it and how could that be prevented? It's just coincidental that they both make weapons. Oh and how she had always been training? And what about how she always said "you" when talking about the renegades? Never we? She had never loved Adrian. She's just been trying to get close to his dads, to find out the flaws. To kill everyone you love. Like Max.  
Nova was never a real person. That's probably not even her real name.  
But everyone was worried about her. They ended up looking through her house, but to Adrian's surprise found nothing condemning. Where the heck was Danna then? He'd have to ask Nova, he guessed. He let out a humorless laugh, drawing the attention of Ruby who was sitting near him. She was worried about him.  
Guess that's what you get when people think the one you love has been kidnapped by the one you hate. No Ruby. That's what you get when they are one and the same.  
The sentinel was also being shown in a slightly better light. Max wasn't going to die. Thank god. The only good thing in his life is that someone isn't going to die. Isn't that just great.  
At the end of the day his dads stopped him as he tried to go off to his room.  
"Look, Adrian. I know it's hard- no, it's terrible. It's awful. But we need you buddy. Max needs you! We're looking for Nova and Nightmare as we speak, and we'll have them before we know it. It's just- you have to talk to us. You've been so distant!"  
"Sorry." Adrian said curtly and tried to sidestep them. Simon stepped in his way.  
"We think that you just need to talk to someone about what you're going through. I cant let you be involved in the hunt for Nightmare and Nova- it's just... you're too personally involved in it."  
"Okay." said Adrian, giving in without a fight, much to his dads' surprise. He always wanted to do the Nightmare missions and fought them on it.  
"Adrian..."  
"I'm FINE. I just want some time alone, okay?!"  
"Adrian, I don't think you should be alone right now, you don't want to do anything drastic-"  
"God, I'm not suicidal! Nova's- Nova's probably fine and whatever. I don't care. I just want to- draw."  
"Adrian..."  
"By myself."  
"Adrian..."  
"I'll be going now. Thanks for the talk."

||||||||Nova again||||||||

Adrian was not going to draw. Well, he might, but not in the way his dad's thought he meant. He was going to see Nov-Nightmare. He was going to find out who killed his Mom, where Danna is, and who Nightmare really was.  
He stopped at the door, regaining his composure.  
"You are the Sentinel. You are going to find out what you want to know. You got this." What a pathetic pep talk.  
He opened the door. Nova was pacing- no, Nightmare was pacing. When the door opened, she launched at him, hands in front of her. He was ready, and shot her in the head. With his photon beam of course.  
Her eyes rolled back. He quickly tied her up, drawing bonds on a scrap piece of chromium. She wouldn't be breaking these anytime soon.  
He then started to draw himself a stool in front of the chair she was tied too, but then changed his mind. Standing was more intimidating. Soon she woke up. Screaming.  
Bam! Bam! Bam!  
This guy really needed to stop knocking her out! It was getting old. She panted a little, until she realized this time the Sentinel was still in front of her. She had been moved yes, into bonds tying her to a chair, and he was still here.  
Shit. He saw her vulnerable. He would use that against her. She quickly steeled herself, and topped it off by spitting in his face.  
He reeled back, startled. To her surprise he didn't even slap her for it. Seemed he had no problem with Hawthorne.  
"That was... unnecessary. I have questions for you, and I suggest you answer them."  
Ah. That's why. Saving time. Well, too bad Mr. Sentinel. "Please put your suggestions in the box for consideration."  
Adrian should've never come here. He should've just turned her in to his dads. But if he was here, he would get his answers.  
"Let's rephrase that. I want my questions answered. They are simple enough, and they will be answered. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but either way they will be answered. Let's start easy. Who the hell are you really Nightmare? Certainly not Nova McLain as you've previously claimed to the renegades."  
Nova flinched inside, but did her best not to show it.  
"Oh no, simplicity. My identity unveiled. Fine, I'm Yura Effenjerk."  
Adrian slapped her, regretting it instantly. Her head snapped to the side with a crack. Her cheek was red and there was a small line of blood from his sentinel gloves. Oh my god what have I done he thought. The worst part was she didn't appear surprised. She nodded, licking her now-bleeding lip.  
"And thus the true face of a renegade, covered as it may be."  
Adrian felt horrible inside. "I'm not a Renegade."  
"Huh. Really. I'm not falling for it. Where'd ya find out my name? The fact I'm a renegade? You've been doing research. In Renegade headquarters. Smart little hero. Good job finding out the villain"  
"Maybe you're right. Maybe I am a Renegade. They'd probably welcome my identity if I turned you in huh? Ace and Nightmare, all in the span of a week."  
Nova stiffened. Ace. How did he know about Ace. Nonononono. This can't be happening!  
"Oh, you didn't know about that? Yeah, in and neutralized," Adrian fibbed. He wasn't actually neutralized yet but Nova didn't need to know that. No! Not Nova, Nightmare.  
Nova felt like screaming and howling in rage. Ace was her one hope! Her only family! All that she had done, for nothing! For what? Because she couldn't just leave a little renegade boy? Because she became too emotionally attached?  
"So you have nothing left. The Anarchists aren't going to come for you-"  
"You think I don't know that?! I failed, so I'm left in the dust. I'm found out, so I'm no longer of use. They're family until you fail. Then you're the past. They don't morn you. I've seen it. I killed Ingrid for fuck's sake! So now you expect me to give in, right? But I won't. Because keeping everything from you is now the only thing I have left. Once that's done, I'm as good as dead. You don't have anything above me! I don't care what you do. So don't even- don't even act like you are higher in morals than me when you are keeping me tied up and going to torture me for what you need to know."  
Adrian was kind of shocked at her outburst. Nova didn't look sad in the least, no, she was fuming. Was that all really true? Adrian hadn't super considered everything she'd done as a renegade. She'd apprehended so many villains, and she had killed the donator. The donator had tried to kill her. And they were friends. It had to have been hard to deal with that. To be anarchist in general. Which brings him to his next question  
"How'd you become an anarchist?"  
"How the hell did you interpret all that as 'hey, I should ask more nosy questions about her past!' I'm not going to give you anything! You have nothing on me!"  
But he did. This time, he did. He would have his answers. He picked up a dose of Agent N. He had the amulet now. She had no protection.  
"I think this is a big something."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give me Kudos or I will chop your leg off and throw it in my bonfire and watch it burn
> 
> I'm trying out aggressive end notes... thanks for reading!!


	3. Chapter 3

Nightmare's mind changed very quickly. Her face paled. Her eyes widened. She seemed to almost instantly break out into a sweat, her composure gone.  
"No! You can't do that to me!"  
"Actually, I think I can. Even the Code would allow it. You're using your powers wrong. I have every right."  
"I'm captured! I'm rendered unable to do harm! You can't..."  
"Come on. You've seen frostbite and her team. You keep throwing the Hawthorne thing in my face. You really want to argue?"  
Nova's mind whirled. The sentinel had actually tried to get frostbite to stop. He hadn't been like that. Now that she thought about it, before the Hawthorne incident he hadn't really even been like them. What changed? It didn't matter. He was going to neutralized her. Then she'd be defenseless. Completely useless. And she'd have to sleep. She'd have to hear the shots every night. She couldn't let that happen.  
"What- what do you want to know." She wouldn't answer it if it harmed anyone but her. Her past- she'd have to give it to him if it meant not having to relive it every night.  
Adrian hated himself, really, but I mean, he couldn't pass up his chance.   
"I'll start over. Name?"  
"Nova Artino. Happy?"  
"Artino?! Ace had a kid?!" Adrian was kind of freaking out. Okay, she could very well be lying, and he would verify it, but seriously, Artino? Had he almost fallen in love with Ace Freaking Anarchy's Daughter?! She had to be lying.  
"No."   
"Care to elaborate?"  
"No." Nova was going to answer his questions, but only if he asked the right ones, ones that were worth spending for her power of insomnia, and if so she had no problem in answering literally. Adrian was getting rather irritated.  
"Elaborate smartass, and don't be so literal unless you want this," Adrian growled, twirling Agent N.   
Nova snorted. "You're not going to give me that for taking the long route. You're still getting cooperation right? You don't want your little villain pet to stop feeding you info do you? Simple trade. Your time for the unraveling of my past and sanity. Sounds like you're the one benefiting…" Sarcasm was dripping from her voice. Adrian knew she was right, but didn't acknowledge it.  
"Annnnd you're an Artino. Elaborate."  
"Do some research Jackass. I don't feel like talking."  
"Too bad, you're going too-" But then an alarm went off inside his suit. RATTT. It was the one for someone trying to enter his room, where he currently was not. That was probably his dads. He had to go, now.  
"You're right, gotta go, bye!"  
"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you even going to untie me? And 'bye'?! What the-"  
Adrian had to get out, Nightmare could stay tied up for a little longer. Why did it have to be Nova?! He quickly exited and unzipping his suite, rushed to his room, where his dads were waiting.  
"Stop. Right. There."

Nova POV

That dude was so messed up. What the heck. He cages her in an inhumanly small dark age, knocks her out, hits her, threatens her, forces her to talk, and then changes his mind mid-sentence, freezes up all creepy like, and leaves her tied up with a "bye" like they're best friends? Seriously messed up.  
Nova tried to get out of her bonds, but after a quick inspection saw they were made of chromium, and there was no way she'd be getting out of them. That, of course brought up some questions. Who the heck was the sentinel, and why did he have chromium?!   
Nova went over the few facts of what she knew about him. Probably renegade. No, definitely. He was defensive when she said he was. A non-renegade would be delighted for that to be assumed. Had multiple powers: fire, that beam thing, leaping, and... immunity. He had been fine going near Max. He wasn't tall enough to be Captain Chromium though, even though he was able to get bonds made out of it. Huh.   
He tortured and killed Hawthorne and seemed sensitive about it. He didn't take every opportunity to hit Nova, only did it once actually. He was using mostly phycological torture on her. But he had seemed almost apologetic about her original prison... if a torturer could be apologetic.   
She had no idea who he was, but she would figure it out. He had to mess up. If she had no mask, then she would make sure that the playing field was leveled, and if possible that she had higher ground.   
The Sentinel would fall. Ace would be avenged. And then maybe, just maybe, she could be forgiven and accepted by the Anarchists again.   
Maybe. It was all she had left. Besides Adrian that is-   
Maybe he would never learn. But she was so afraid that he would. After all, one cannot be brave without fear.

Adrian POV again

As Adrian stepped out of the passageway he'd drawn, closing the door quickly and making sure it was just a drawing again, he was disappointed to see that he had not been fast enough.   
"Stop. Right. There." ...His dads had seen him and were looking pretty darn pissed.  
"Drawing, huh?"  
"Yeah! I was just experimenting with, you know drawing rooms into existence, that kind of stuff. Experimenting with my power... and I'm pretty sure I said by myself."  
Hugh groaned, but Simon replied for him. "Adrian, we're worried about you and it seems we were right too. I don't believe your story, and I would like to see precisely what is behind that door you drew."  
Yep, not going to happen, Dad. Not going to happen. "It was a failed drawing. I'll make a new one-"  
"No need. We know precisely what you were doing in that hall, Adrian, and we're disappointed in you. You should have told us."   
Oh crap. Not good, not good. "I can explain, I don't know what you think I've done, but I assure you-"  
"Adrian," started Hugh, "we know you want to help Nova and be a part of the Nightmare mission." Wait what? Thank god! They didn't know he was the Sentinel.   
"We don't want you going behind our backs to do it, but you're allowed to partake in the Nightmare/Nova mission, just from headquarters. Ruby and Oscar are worried about you, so you can't just spend so much time cooped up in rooms you drew on your wall. Dana and Nova are gone. You need to help your teammates, they need you and it is your responsibility as their leader! Adrian, we get it, this is hard into, but you need to be considerate of others! We'll let you work on the Nightmare mission, just come back to us, buddy!"  
They had no idea what he was going through. But he didn't want them to push further. He didn't know what they'd do if they found out he was the Sentinel and he was keeping Nightmare--Nova--captive. That was not a conversation he wanted to have.  
"Thanks," he said quickly, mustering a strained smile. "You're right. I'll go talk to my teammates and do stiff not related to Nova. You're right, that's for the best. You have people looking for her. I'll go help my teammates, you were right, I should've done that before. Thank you for letting me work on the mission now."  
Hugh and Simon had no idea whether that was sarcastic or sincere. They had been so lucky before raising a teen who was not insane and emo, but now... well, he was justified. Nova, who they knew he loved, was gone. Dana was missing. And Nightmare, who he was so convinced knew about what happened to his mother, was missing. He was justified. Maybe they should go a little bit easier on him, but he needed to snap out of this funk.   
"Okay," said Hugh, speaking for both of them, "you go do that now. We'll get you started on the Nova mission Saturday."  
"'Kay. Bye then."


End file.
